Dark Days of Winter Challenge: Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine over Creamy Polenta with Blue Cheese Crumbles

Ingredients for the marinade:

• 2 lbs Flanken Style Beef Short Ribs
• 1 Tbsp Clarified Butter (or Oil)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic – minced
• 2 Carrots – peeled and chopped
• 1 Onion – chopped
• 1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
• 1 Bottle Red Wine
• Salt & Pepper

Ingredients for the Braised Short Ribs:

• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Clarified Butter (or Oil)
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Bay Leaf

Directions for the marinade:

Trim the fat off of the short ribs and place in a shallow casserole dish. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the clarified butter allowing it to melt and get hot. Add the garlic and saute until golden. Stir in the carrots and onion along with a big pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Saute until soften. Add the thyme and 1/4 cup of the red wine to deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to reduce until almost evaporated. Add another 1 3/4 cups of wine and bring to a boil. Pour over the short ribs, cover and refrigerate for several hours turning occasionally.

Directions for Braising the Short Ribs:

Remove the short ribs from the marinade, pat dry and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the clarified butter and sear the short ribs on all sides. Add 1/4 cup of the marinade to deglaze the pan. Then, pour the rest of the marinade over the short ribs along with the remaining 2 cups of wine, the chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stirring and turning the short ribs occasionally. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes. 

Remove short ribs. Pour all of the liquid in the pot through a strainer and skim off the fat. Return the strained and defatted liquid to the pot and allow to reduce until slightly thickened.

Serve the short ribs over creamy polenta with some of the sauce spooned over and top with a few crumbles of Blue Cheese.

Sources:

• Short Ribs – Heather Ridge Farm 
• Clarified Butter – Homemade gift from a friend
• Garlic – Hearty Roots
• Carrots – Healthway Farms, Highland, NY
• Onion – Esopus Creek Farm 
• Dried Thyme – My garden
• Red Wine – Cascade Mountain Winery Couer de Lion
• Cornmeal – Wild Hive Farm
• Milk – Ronnybrook 
• Butter – Ronnybrook
• Blue Cheese – Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. Ewe’s Blue